Christmas is a special holiday for many people around the world. And, perhaps, one of the most important traditions is Christmas dinner. What foods are served on Christmas Eve at the festive table? different corners of our planet? Traditional German treats include mulled wine and candied fruit pie called stollen. Stollen is often baked with humps, in memory of the camels on which the Magi reached the cradle of Jesus. Many Bulgarians go hungry on the eve of Christmas, and for the holiday they treat themselves to stuffed vegetables, soup and pies.
The festive table of the people of Fiji consists of fish wrapped in banana leaves, stuffed chicken and baked pork. It is cooked in an earthen oven “lovo”, lined with heavy stones.
In the United Kingdom, fig pudding serves as table decoration. It should be doused with brandy and set on fire.
Italians call Christmas dinner the “feast of the seven fishes.” The table is served with a variety of seafood dishes - squid, cod, anchovies, as well as pasta with shellfish.
The French also prefer seafood. Lobsters, oysters and foie gras are usually on the table.
Traditional Christmas dish Swedes – rice pudding. Almonds are hidden in one of the portions, promising good luck to the finder until the end of the year.
Residents of Costa Rica enjoy tamales, a pork and corn dish whose recipe has been passed down from generation to generation.
In Ethiopia, they eat doro wat, a chicken roast served on thin flatbread. And forget about knives and forks, this dish should be handled with your hands.
IN South Africa Christmas comes in the summer and locals flock to the braai - an African grill - to roast lamb, turkey or pork.
In Australia, December is also summer, and Australians have a Christmas barbecue. They roast turkey, lamb and large shrimp.
Ghanaians eat at Christmas corn porridge, stewed okra and a puree of various root vegetables called fufu.
Most of those who find Christmas in Antarctica celebrate the holiday on board the ship. So they have to make do with meat, canned food and frozen vegetables.
Christians in Egypt observe strict fasting during three days before Christmas. The main dish at this time is “kushari”, it is prepared from pasta, rice and lentils, seasoned with tomato-vinegar sauce.
In India, biryani, or curry, is served for the holiday - a dish of rice and spices with the addition of meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. For dessert there is sweet milk pudding.
Filipinos prefer whole baked suckling pig, into whose mouth a ball of yellow cheese is placed.
In Iceland, Christmas dinner starts at 6 pm and consists of a wide variety of meat dishes, including venison.
In Argentina they serve “vitel tonne” - veal in tuna sauce, as well as turkey, pork, and bread. Often festive dinner served in the backyard barbecue style.
Residents of Finland organize Christmas Buffet, which contains ham, bread, fish, various casseroles and vegetables, as well as warmed wine with spices
In the United States, many people prefer eggnogg, or drunken eggnog, a drink made from beaten eggs with sugar and wine.
Believe it or not, on Christmas night, many Japanese people flock to KFC to eat crispy chicken and sides.

Denmark and Sweden

The country of the happiest people prefers to have a bird on its table. Duck with apples Duck with apples, prunes, raisins, flavored with brandy or rum is a frequent guest on the Danish table. But the main New Year's holiday dish for the Danes is cod.

This dish symbolizes happiness and wealth. On festive table Swedes must be served lutefix - a fish dish from dried cod.

England

None new year holidays In England people cannot do without Christmas pudding or “plum-pudding”. And it is prepared from almost everything that is in the refrigerator ⸺ bread crumbs, flour, raisins, eggs, fruits and even lard. The pudding also includes inedible elements - a ring promising marriage in the coming year, a button - a bachelor's life, chicken bones - great luck and travel, a coin - to improve your financial situation.

The first puddings were not at all airy dessert, A oatmeal, cooked in meat broth. This is exactly what the Christmas dish was like during the time of Elizabeth 1.

Gives a special delicacy to the dish effective delivery on the table ⸺ they pour rum over it and set it on fire. Blazing fragrant dessert looks like a miracle, and makes the New Year's celebration even brighter and unforgettable.

Also, in addition to pudding, it is accepted on the English New Year's table stuffed with vegetables turkey with gooseberry sauce.

America

In America, roast turkey is also considered a traditional holiday dish.

However, unlike the “English” one, every housewife prepares it according to own recipe. Therefore, in such a turkey you can often find a wide variety of products ⸺ cheese, apples, cabbage, prunes, etc..

Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic

But in these two countries it is believed that if you serve a bird at the festive table, then happiness can simply fly away. Of the differences holiday dishes Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic offer traditional strudels and schnitzels, as well as carp or suckling pig.

IN Austria It is considered obligatory to eat a pig's snout on New Year's Eve, since the pig in this country is a symbol of prosperity and happiness. The Austrians call it “taking part in the pig's happiness.”

Among the “lucky dishes” on the table there should also be green pea- so that money is not transferred, and hell - so that there is health. Another symbol of happiness is the four-leaf clover, which is made from mint ice cream.

IN Hungary Bagels are served on the tables - poppy seed and nut rolls.

Germany

In Germany, non-meat dishes are the main masterpiece of the festive table. The Germans believe that fish dishes bring happiness in the coming year. Carp dishes are a must New Year's treat, since carp is considered a symbol of material well-being. The Germans even put a couple of carp scales in their wallets to “attract” money into it.

The presence of herring on the New Year's table is also a good omen.

Poland

Polish tradition is that the New Year's table should be exactly 12 different dishes. However, you will be surprised that you will not find meat in any of them. Soups, porridge, potatoes, dumplings. And at the head of the table is fish in its most varied variations.

Japan

For the Japanese, it is not the food itself that is important on the holiday table, but rather its color. For example, if someone wishes financial well-being and happiness in the New Year, they should eat something red: a piece of red fish or shrimp.

The festive dinner itself begins with the main dish - soba. This food is buckwheat noodles with broth. Grilled rice balls are immersed in the broth. Moreover, they should all be round in shape, so that luck always returns to the Japanese house, passing in a circle.

India

New Year in India is celebrated with hash raita and pilaf biryani. The latter is made from lamb with rice, carrots, sultanas, green peas, cashew nuts, pineapples and lots of spices. Thanks to the seasonings, the rice becomes colorful and looks festive.

Raita is prepared from kefir, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers. For dessert they serve lassi - curdled milk whipped with sugar and ginger, which tastes like yogurt.

An interesting fact is that in India, New Year is celebrated 3 times. And all because in different regions the arrival of the New Year is considered to be on completely different dates.

Having become acquainted a little with the New Year and Christmas traditions of old Europe, we decided to step overseas and talk about how our loved ones are celebrated winter holidays Americans.

Historically, the majority of the American population is Protestant or Catholic, so Christmas is celebrated as in Europe - from December 24 to 25. And, of course, this is the most important holiday. During the Christmas holidays, family and friends fly from different parts of America to celebrate this joyful holiday together. Just like in the movie Home Alone. On Christmas Eve, everyone gathers around a large table laden with all kinds of dishes.

Americans eat a lot and with pleasure, mainly beef and pork, much less often and not in all states - lamb. IN large quantities use traditional turkey, as well as chicken. But meat is a priority! This is perhaps the most main product in USA. In terms of popularity, only corn can compete with meat dishes. In areas bordering the ocean, fish or seafood is often prepared, some of which blend so much with the image of the cities that they even become their symbols. For example, in Boston it is lobster. The most favorite way to cook any food is barbecue. It's hard to find a family that doesn't have their own grill. This especially applies to “single-story” America.

There are all kinds of grills: from stationary ones on verandas and personal plots to portable ones that you can take with you to some event, for example, to a tailgate party - special kind like a picnic that can be arranged in absolutely any place, even in a parking lot. People open the trunks of their cars (hence the name), take out their grills, cases of chilled drinks, and relax culturally before going, for example, to a concert or game of their favorite team. Some people manage to “warm up” so thoroughly that they don’t even make it to the stadium :) They can also celebrate some other holiday this way: a birthday or Independence Day.

The list of dishes that Americans love and prepare is very extensive. Basically, it depends on what area you are in, and, accordingly, which country colonized this area. For example, in Louisiana the primary source will be French cuisine, in New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) - British and Western European, in Florida - Spanish. For a modern kitchen big influence provided by Italy, Mexico, Thailand, Japan and China. Don't forget about the indigenous Indian population. As a result, an interesting phenomenon was born American cuisine: on the one hand, it doesn’t seem to exist, on the other hand, it turned out amazing combination various cuisines peace. Imagine that the peoples of different countries took and combined all the best that has ever been prepared anywhere...

But back to Christmas... As mentioned, it's a big one. family celebration. They begin to prepare for it ahead of time. This mainly concerns the bulk purchase of gifts. The start is given by “Black Friday” - the day after Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving day) - the fourth Thursday of November. At this time, a series of promotions and sales are taking place across America. In some stores, shopping for goods on Black Friday resembles military operations. People come in the evening, some with tents or at least folding chairs, waiting all night to rush to the opened doors in the morning.

Many people complain that in the pursuit of gifts, the “spirit of Christmas” has long been forgotten; they are trying to resurrect this spirit, making films for adults and children, trying to remind them that Christmas is not only a tree, a lot of gifts and an abundance of food. Before Christmas, many schools hold plays. Municipalities and residents themselves decorate streets and houses with bright lights. Catholic churches host nativity scenes dedicated to the birth of the infant Christ. Christmas trees are decorated everywhere, children hang socks for sweets (where naughty children can get coals instead of candies), the whole family makes garlands from popcorn, bakes gingerbread houses, and makes snowmen. And where there is no snow, for example, in Florida, they make “snowmen” out of sand. It would probably be correct to call them sandpipers :) And Santa Clauses are cutting through the waves on the surf...

The most popular dishes on the Christmas table - this is Christmas ham, baked meat (Baked Beef), steaks (Steak) and turkey (Turkey). Served as a side dish mashed potatoes(Mashed potatoes) or baked sweet potatoes (Roasted Sweet Potato Yam), as well as corn (Corn), green beans (Green beens) and asparagus (Asparagus). And if you want to become a friend and favorite of all children, then there is nothing better than burgers, tacos or burritos. Drinks in colder states include Eggnog, Tom and Jerry, or Mulled wine, which are especially good when returning from skiing or snowboarding. And in warm weather, they will sedately sip Pina Colada. And, of course, there will be an abundance of all kinds of sweets everywhere: pies, cakes, gingerbread cookies and sweets.

If Christmas is celebrated on a grand scale in almost every American family, then New Year It is not customary to particularly celebrate. Rather, it's just an excuse to have a drink and maybe go to a party. But if on New Year's Eve you happen to be in New York and get to Times Square, then you can, together with the crowd (most likely tourists), count the seconds on a huge clock while one of the symbols of the city - the Big Apple - descends ( Big apple). Most Americans simply go to bed on New Year's Eve, and those who do celebrate the New Year usually watch a report from Times Square on TV. However, in America there are also new year traditions: for example, making promises to do something in next year- go to Paris or quit smoking.

In conclusion, we want to thank all our friends who took an active part in the creation of this short note.

You can order most products for American New Year's table in our online store, and we will deliver them directly to your home. This will significantly save your time, effort and money, because our prices are stable high quality, below the urban average, and delivery for orders over 4,000 rubles is free (within St. Petersburg).

Seafood

Crab dip

Garnish

Roasted Sweet Potato Yam Sweet potato Sweet potatoes or Yams are a very popular vegetable in the USA; in one form or another, they will definitely be present on any holiday table. We suggest you try cooking baked sweet potato(Roasted Sweet Potato) with rosemary olive oil- a healthy and low-calorie version of "fries".
Green beans Zelena green beans with sweet bell peppers and balsamic vinegar - a very popular dish in the USA and Mexico. Bell pepper complements the taste of beans, and balsamic vinegar completes what he started, turning ordinary dish to a delicacy.

Main dishes

Christmas ham Christmas is an excellent occasion to indulge in a little indulgence (especially after the winter fast) and to have a real holiday for our taste buds. This magnificent piece of ham, exuding an amazing aroma, is simply bound to become the king of your holiday table! Do you want to keep all the traditions? Take a piece of toasted bread, put a slice of ham on it and add a little real Dijon mustard on top. What could be better!?
Baked beef This classic recipe very good for cooking beef tenderloin, boneless brisket or striploin. As a side dish you can offer baked vegetables (potatoes, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, turnip or rutabaga), boiled or fried potatoes, as well as purees. Baked beef is a winning option if you need to feed a large group - the meat tastes amazing and looks great!
New York Steak New York is a city stunning with the many lights of Times Square and the silence of Central Park. A city overlooked by the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings. A city of theaters, museums and restaurants. A city that values ​​great food and especially... good steaks and BBQ.... This recipe is proof of that. New York steak with spicy sauce and mushrooms - tender, juicy and aromatic - true New York chic.
Baked beef with vegetables This recipe is especially good for cold weather. winter evenings and dinner parties. At the same time, the cooking process itself will require a minimum of effort from you. And the smell in your home will be simply fabulous!

Rack of lamb (Lamb chops) This classic recipe for rack of lamb will surely please meat lovers, especially those who prefer the degree of doneness “rare” (please, give me rare), that is, rare. >>
Burrito Burrito is a dish Mexican cuisine, born in Ciudad Juarez, located in the north of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Literally translated, its name means “little donkey.” Where did it come from? One of the stories of Mexican legend says that a long time ago, a man named Juan Mendez sold food on the street. To keep food from getting cold longer, he came up with an idea: wrap hot food in a tortilla, then the tortilla will help keep the heat inside. His new product was such a success that Juan had to buy a small donkey to deliver many tortillas at a time. People said, look "comida del burrito", that is, "food from a donkey." Since then, the word “burrito” has become the name of the dish.
Taco Frankly speaking, tacos, like burritos, are not specifically an American dish - they also came from Mexico. However, just as shawarma (or shawarma) became an integral part of Russian fast food, so tacos became an integral part of first American and then our lives. What's the secret? In ease of preparation and versatility, as well as in original taste. We would like to introduce you to another classic American cocktail, “Tom and Jerry,” without which Christmas in the USA is simply unthinkable, especially in the cold states. It owes its name to the literary heroes - troublemakers Jerry Hawthorne and Tom Corinthian, invented by London journalist and writer Piers Egan back in 1821 (“The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn, Esq. and His Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom”). The names of the heroes became household names, as they began to call the English unruly youth, prone to fights and disturbing the peace. It is believed that these literary characters became the prototypes of the cat and mouse in the popular American cartoon series “Tom and Jerry.”
Pina Colada Pina Colada (Piña Colada Spanish) - everyone has heard the name of this cocktail, which is immediately associated with warm Caribbean Sea, sun and beach, as well as siesta, fiesta and mañana in the best Spanish traditions. Delicious, aromatic, cooling and intriguing drink- a celebrity among cocktails, is national drink Puerto Rico since 1978. Its name means freshly squeezed, strained pineapple juice. Actually, that’s where it all started, and only then rum was added (what would it be like without rum in the pirate Caribbean!) and coconut cream. Click "Add to cart" and all products will be added. (in the cart you can remove unnecessary ones and add other products)

Australia Traditional cuisine came to Australia from Great Britain along with the first colonists, but over time it acquired a local flavor thanks to the unusual animals living there - for example, kangaroo meat makes excellent steaks. However, meat pies turned out to be the main thing in Australian culinary culture - they were easy to prepare from products available to the settlers. Traditional decoration New Year's table in Australia became the most unusual of pies - floating. That's what it's called - Pie Floater. The first mention of it dates back to 1890, when newspaper The The Melbourne Argus published an article about a cook who dropped ready-made soup into meat pie. At first, such pies, immersed in pea soup, sold by street vendors on mobile carts - it was hearty lunch for people of the common class. Then float pies began to be served in pubs and restaurants. Pie Floater was designated a South Australian National Heritage Site in 2003. Floating pie was a favorite dish of the famous bluesman Joe Cocker, rock band AC/DC and actor Hugh Jackman. What do you need to make a float cake? First do pureed pea soup- from meat broth, with onions and garlic. Then prepare the filling for the pie - finely chop the beef steak, fry it in a heated frying pan in small quantity oils In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic. Add flour and pieces of fried beef. Salt and pepper a little, add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, Bay leaf. Then mix everything and simmer over low heat for about an hour. Ready stuffing put it in the refrigerator. Australians make the pie itself from two types of dough: the lower part is made from shortbread, and the round lid is made from puff pastry without yeast. The size of such a share is about the size of a palm (10-12 cm in diameter). The cooled filling is placed into the prepared pies, pea soup is poured into a plate and the pie is placed in it, garnished with tomato sauce. Africa Depending on the country, African cuisine may be dominated by meat, fruit and vegetable dishes. Moreover, combinations of products can be the most unexpected, unusual for us. In general, Africans eat simple food without any special frills. Crown number culinary arts in Africa - fufu. It’s hard to imagine any holiday table anywhere in Ghana or Cameroon without it. Fufu is like ours crushed potatoes, only the African one is prepared from everything that comes to hand or can be found in a nearby shop. If you buy, for example, cassava, rice, corn, or some very exotic inyam or yam, chop it finely and cook it. Then the cooked substance must be pounded for a long time, adding water, bringing the resulting substance to a light state. air mass, from which large balls are then molded. These balls are called fufu. But this is only a prelude to the dish. And the main theme is sauces, seasonings, meat, vegetables. Usually spicy food is prepared for fu fu meat sauces or beef stew with vegetables. Fufu is usually eaten with hands, pinching off a piece and dipping it into the sauce. Fufu on the New Year's table is a sign that there is prosperity and prosperity in the house.

What holiday table is complete without salads? In Morocco, for example, bulgur salad is very popular - wheat cereal. First they cook vegetable broth, then pour it over the bulgur and keep it on low heat for about ten minutes. Then pour boiling water over the green peas for five minutes and, while they stand, finely chop the garlic, onions, capers, crush olives and pitted olives. Then fry the onion over medium heat and add shrimp to it. 3-4 minutes, a little garlic - and the shrimp are ready to decorate the salad. Finely chopped parsley is mixed with the prepared bulgur. All this is laid out on a dish, shrimp and fresh herbs are placed on top. America What is put on the festive table in North America? Of course, a giant turkey, pumpkin soup, Apple pie. All this is well known, so it’s better to tell you what, for example, Brazilians like for the New Year. On the festive table in Brazil there will always be a dish with cochina - pieces of chicken baked with cheese and spices. Cochinha is quite easy to prepare, and the main thing about it is... choux pastry made with chicken broth. First the housewife roasts in the oven chicken thighs with salt and pepper - no longer than twenty minutes, so that the meat does not become dry. Then the meat is cut into small pieces, placed in a frying pan along with onions and garlic and fried for about ten minutes. Having cooled slightly, the meat is mixed with grated cheese and parsley.

The next step is preparing the dough. Into the boiling chicken bouillon add flour and stir until smooth. Then the dough is rolled out and koshinyas are molded from it. chicken leg or truffle. The result is smeared egg yolk and rolls in breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the coshine for 2-3 minutes. Europe Europeans mostly celebrate Christmas as a family holiday, leaving New Year's Eve only fireworks and celebrations in the squares. Christmas dinner is the main event of the year, and there is a lot of preparation for it. In the Czech Republic, for example, it is impossible to imagine Christmas without a carp dish. They started raising fish in monasteries - the monks had an excellent understanding of food and wine, knew how to cook, and loved to eat deliciously. At the beginning of the 19th century, carp began to be bred in ponds throughout the Czech Republic and prepared for Christmas soup. On December 25, huge cauldrons of free soup were rolled out on Old Town Square in Prague, and the mayor treated the townspeople to it. This tradition still exists today. On Christmas Eve, the day before, the Czech family gathers at home and eats fish soup And fried carp. There is such a sign - you need to put a scale of Christmas carp under a plate of soup, and then next year everything will be fine with you. Czechs buy live carp right on the street - before Christmas, on almost every corner there are large vats in which huge fish are splashing. The purchased carp must be thoroughly gutted, and then the head, bones and fins must be placed in pans along with vegetables (carrots, onions, parsley, celery, etc.). Pour a lot of water into the pan and bring it to a boil, not forgetting to skim off the foam with a slotted spoon. You need to cook for about an hour, then throw two large pieces fish and cook for another ten minutes. Then it is better to pass the broth through a sieve to avoid bones. Then boil all this again, and remove the meat from the broth and cut it, removing the bones.

After this, you need to cut the vegetables, fry them on butter and add a little flour. Pour the broth into the frying pan and keep it on the fire for 2-3 minutes, stirring. And then pour it all into a saucepan with prepared broth. The soup should look like heavy cream. You need to cook it for about ten minutes, then add croutons and serve.

Even though our favorite holiday has already passed, I think many will be interested in finding out what people from different countries of the world eat.

France. The French serve roast turkey in white wine, goose pate, snails, cheeses and magnificent desserts - Christmas log, merentha with strawberries and croquembouche.

Germany. German New Year's menu usually consists of fried carp with lemon slices, salmon in dough, mustard potatoes. This splendor is complemented by marzipan sweets and nut pies.

England. Not a single New Year's table in England is complete without a traditional dish for this holiday - plum pudding, consisting of lard, fried bread, eggs, raisins, candied almonds, apples and spices. Before serving the dish, plum pudding is poured with rum and set on fire. Another a traditional dish — stuffed turkey with vegetables.

Italy. It is almost impossible to imagine a New Year's table in Italy without cotechino - pork sausage, zampone (baked in pork leg meat) and seafood - perch, cod and baked eel, which is served along with traditional spaghetti.

Norway. In this northern country, New Year's dishes are not particularly diverse or original. In Norway they serve creamy soup with salmon, mashed potatoes, different sauces and ribbe ( pork belly on ribs).

Ribbe - pork belly on ribs

Finland. The central dish of the Finnish New Year's table is ham in mustard. Fish dishes are also served: fish soaked in lye (lutefisk) or salted salmon (gravlax). Drinks include mulled wine.

Bulgaria. Bulgarians decorate their holiday table with dishes such as banitsa ( layered cake cheese), sweet potatoes with apples and moussaka (Bulgarian meat dish). For dessert they serve zavivanets (lemon roll).

USA. The main dish of the New Year's table among conservative Americans is traditionally stuffed turkey. Unlike the British, Americans stuff their turkey with almost everything they can find in their refrigerator. Typically these products are: mushrooms, cheese, apples, beans, prunes, garlic, cabbage and spices.

Sweden. The Swedes prepare their traditional dish for the holiday - Kropkakor. Kropkakor is similar to Belarusian sorcerers; from a mixture of lard, ham and boiled potatoes, roll into balls and boil in salted water. And of course, the buffet is always decorated with one more dish - lutefisk - a fish dish made from dried cod, which is pre-soaked in lye.